Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-04-14
INSPECTING THE STREETS
FIFTEEN LBGISLATORs TAKEN
OYER TOWN.
The Speech.maklDg That Followed
the wca'-DOioDel NorEOn Pitches
Into the Personnsl OF the Citixems'
Committee.

ths Npca'-OOioDel NoruOn Pitches
Into the Pers0nusI OF the Cfflxems'
COlnmtttee.
The members Of the Legislature, who
| were takan over the streets OF The city yta-
| tefday, were Representatives McCibe, ALA
band, Temple, Rust, Sootten, McGee,
Smalley. Medill. Dasey, Wilson, MuiliRan,
/ Ware and Jones, and senators McWhorter
| and Cooper Il. T. Cooper, clerk OF the
House, also accompanied the party. Sena-
tor MeWhorter, at the banquet explained
i why the attendance was not larger. He
said that the Senate received an invitation,
| but the members were informed that
i through press of business the House would
| refuse the invitation and remain al work.
| The Senate then adjourned without accept
| ing the Invitation, while the House unex-
| pectedly accepted the invitation. BE was
| sure that at least two-thirds OF the Senate
would have been present but for this cir
eumstanee, and many of the representatives
who absented themselves would have been
| present had they not been told that the
entertainment was to be giyen at the ex-
pense OF the Taxpayers; In fact, that the
| banquet was TO be paid for ont OF the very
$4,000 loan which the Legislature had
authorized.
The visitors were placed IN coaches aftsr
dinner at the European HoteI and taken
over the following route 10 show the condi-
French streets. along Front to Poplar, to
Fourth, to Pine, to Taylor, to Church, 70
Eleventh, to French, TO the Brandywlne, to
Market, to Eleventh, to Orange, to Front, to
Tatnall, to Delaware avenue, TO Shipley to
Front, 70 Maryland avenue, to Jackson, to
Second, to Washington, to Fourth, to Madi-
son, to Tenth, to Franklin, to Delaware
avenue, to Riddles Road and thence to the
Hartmann & Fehrenbaeh Brewing Com
pany's brewery, where the members were
| shown the operations Of making ice by
means of m Ice machine.
On reaching the corner OF Fourth and
Madison streets an alarm Of fire was struck
to show the practical workings OF the de-
partment. In two minutes the Weccacoe
engine arrived, followed by the Washington
and Friendship In five minutes and the
Phoenix In six-and-one-half minutes. The
Council committee argued that the rapidity
with which the fire companies responded to
the alarm was complete refutation of the
charge that Wilmington's streets are In the
condition IN which they have been painted.
The members of the Legislature we're loud
in their praises of the efficiency Of the fire
department, but expressed no opinions on
the streets. The company also visited the
Baltimore & Philadelphia railroad bridge,
which crosses the Brandywine, and the
Friendship, Fame and Reliance fire-engine
houses, where they were shown exhibitions
of quick Harvesting.
Ia thq evening, visitors and hosts and
number Of city officials, In all numbering
so men, sat down to q banquet provided by
Council and Its friends. Colonel Norton
said that the entertainment was provided
entirely by private subscriptions and the
members OF the Legislature need have no
fear that they were helping to squander the
peoples money. DR.. Cooper was not
present. but among others present beside
the members Of the Legislature and ma
ioiity OF City Council were: City Auditor
Ball, Street Commissioner McCloskey, Reg
istrar Lee, Chief of Police Dougherty,
Superintendent OF Flre-alarm Aydon, Clerk
OF Council Messick, County Tax>Collector
Neary, Contractors Davis and Simmons and
many others.
After partaking OF an excellent and sub
stantlal supper, Colonel Norton began the
speech-makfng. He launched at once into
bis speech by saying that Council had re-
NAMED within appropriations, but on ae-
count of a mistake In the estimates, Council
was required to borrow the money to carry
out its appropriations. he then attacked
the citizens committee and the political
careers of Joseph L., Carpenter, Jr., and j.
Parke Postles. The former, he said, was
county tax-collector for six years and
wanted to remain longer, but was turned
out. He was nominated for mayor, but was
defeated by popular vote, as was also klr.
Postles when he ran for the presidency OF
City Council. Such men compose the citi-
zens committee. They could not even be
elected to Council from their own wards.
The COMMITTEES does not represent the pub
lie OF Wilmington. The public should be the
best judge Of its public servants, and II
Council does not act rightly the remedy is
in the peoples hands. The political par
ties are so evenly divided that it would not
take much to turn the balance either way.
A commission or one man power is un-
democratic and wrong in a free community.
The committee never had more than 80
r a..
more than 500 at all of its meetings. 1t
knows that 1t does not represent the people,
and the members lie when they say that
they do. This proposed sewer and street
commission will ask for $85, 900 for the first
year, whereas Council expended but
~, 700 and this money must be provided
by Council whether willing or not.
By such means the commission will
get the praise while Council will
get the blame for being forced to
raise the tax rate again. Again, II is In
consistent to give the members of the pro-
posed commission $500 per annum for run
ming two departments while Counciimen
are to be given 80 per week for conducting
the other eight departments. He charged
that men were hired to solicit signers to the
committees petition and that Mr.. Haggerty.
who was taken to Dover by the committee
as representative workingman, had his
fare paid both ways. The members OF the
citizens committee, he said, were working
for their own self-interests and for political
prestigc.It would be credit to them If they
were as honest In their past careers as they
professed to be, and neither the Legislature
nor the people need expect better con-
dition OF affairs under the commission than
exists at present.
Street Commissioner McCloskey was
called on TO explain the cause of the bad
condition of the streets during the past
winter. He said that the winter was un-
ha
but now that 1t Is becoming dry again the
streets are improved. He said that the
fault lay mainly with some of the people
who are Interested In the new movement,
because they waited until late In the full to
lay private drains, 1000 to 10 600 feet of
which were laid during the past few
months. In reply to Representative
Jones he said that the cost of paving one
block, about 800 feet long aud 25 feet wide,
with cobble-stones, would be between
$3.50 aud 5000 and the extra expense of
Strengthening the curb and repairing the
sidewalk. The cost of paving Fourth street
between Lombard and Pine streets, 900x45
feet, with Belgian blocks was S4, 400 out
side OF the tracks.
Senator McWnoTter, IN behalf OF the
Legislature, thanked their hosts for Il
entertainment aud said that he had been
surprised al the condition of things after
Council had been painted so black that II
the devil were to dip his brush In his own
pntrid haart Il w0nld make white mark
on them, h hsd been warned to stand OF
as there was u bigger job on hand than APP
peared GU the surface. He assured Council
that they would receive fair and impair
tial bearing.
Representatives. Ware also thanked Council
for its bounteous entertainment and
thought that Council would receive fair
hearing from the members Of the Legisia-
tllre who had good will for all and malice
toward none.
County Tax-collector Neary said that he
was present because he was opposed 10
commissions which he thought una, mo-
cratic, ms tho remedy lay with the people.
The men composing the citizens eommittna
never attended primaries or worked TO ,ie
feat couueilmen to whom they objected. H.
Is also lie when they assert that the city's
debt has been raised from some 5000, ,0OO to
81 500, 900 in IA years without being able to
show anything fov 1t. We have 57OO,O09
invested in water works and 100000 In
public schools, which are certainly perma-
nent improvements. The assemblHge then
dispersed.
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